The Ultimate Full Course
by PeachGirleh
Summary: This story follows the half-baked Gourmet Hunter Juriie and her rise to greatness. Her mother was one of the greatest chefs the world had come to know, and now she'll proceed her by becoming an ace hunter. She, the Heavenly Kings, and many others adventure to new lands in hopes of creating the finest Full Course Menu..but maybe her destiny is not quite what she thinks it to be.
1. Let the Games Begin

**Hello! Before you start reading, I just want to make some things clear:**

***This is the "sequel" to a previous fic of mine. Things from the first story will be explained in this one, so you don't HAVE to read it to understand, but you'd have more insight.**

***I have a T rating because I do use heavy language at times, so if that offends you I'd like to give a heads up!**

***Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Toriko whatsoever! I only own my OC's.**

***Hope you enjoy! Please review &amp; tell me if you like it, hate it, think my grammar sucks, think my story is hard to follow…etc. I like to hear what the readers think be it good or bad. Happy Reading! (:**

**(Food Line-7 months ago)**

A young ambitious woman sat up in her penthouse suite. She stood at the height of 5'1, had long black hair, and a rare shade of blue and green eyes. She stood out on her balcony as she looked down upon the bustling city of Food Line.

She thought to herself, '_It's only been two weeks since my adventure with the kings. I miss everyone so much...Seems like it's been an eternity. I think that's why I feared the end of that journey...I knew this would happen...I knew I wouldn't speak to them again...speak to him, again...'_

A soft sigh escaped the woman's lips, "It's times like this that I wonder what you're up to."

As her head tilted downward, a short haired girl came to stand beside her. It was Rin.

"Talking about Livebearer again?"

Juriie shook her head "Nah, I was just thinking about something. But speaking of him, we should probably be heading out now. The E.T. Soda competition starts in a few hours."

The small woman exhaled, "This is my chance to finally meet him Rin. Livebearer-dono is a combo partner I've always dreamed of. I know he'll be there. A lot of great chef's are coming, so there's a chance that he will too. There's only one problem...I don't know what he looks like."

Rin grabbed the girl's hand, "Well then, let's leave now so we have time to weed the crowd!"

That's right, Juriie Munroe was her name. She was a striving Gourmet Hunter that wanted to become the best in the world. Her goal today was to win the E.T. Soda competition in hopes of impressing the man they call Livebearer. He was more than just a big name to her. He was the chef of her dreams, and she'd even go so far as to say he is the reason she gets up in the morning. This wasn't friendly competition to the woman, this was kill or be killed.

The reward for winning was the E.T. Soda itself. It was a phantasmal drink of ages. It is a drink that is literally out of this world. Once every hundred years a shooting star will fall from the sky bearing the seed of the E.T. Soda tree. The seed will sprout from wherever the comet lands, and a single fruit is grown. It is the fruit of the E.T. Soda!

**(Gourmet City)**

Finally after a long while of flying, Rin began to land her small aircraft and the duo got out. Juriie's head was literally spinning from excitement. Going to a competition this big was one of the things she was only able to dream about, but never actually do. For the first thirteen years of her life, she lived it sheltered, and for the last nine she'd been stowing away from large crowds in order to hide her identity. This was one day that she'd pull no punches…this was her day to go all out…and she would.

Juriie looked to her close friend grinning from ear to ear, "Let's party!"

They were there to look for Livebearer, but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy the food in the meantime.

Even though it was hours before the competition, the girls went to open shops to eat before the day began. During this 'pre-full course' it would seem as though their stomachs would be too full when the competition began, but these two were mini food vacuums, and there was no stopping them. They'd stop by different shops and ask for the whereabouts of Livebearer. No one knew, but the two still maintained hope.

Only a few minutes were left before the competition was going to start, and two were sitting at a local Ramen establishment.

Juriie had her face stuffed with noodles as she was enjoying the beginning of this day. "Man, deez noodos are show yummy, an da broth ish great."

Before she could swallow her food, she heard the sound of a roaring crowd, and she knew the competition was beginning.

The small woman nearly choked on her food as she left the counter. "Oh my gosh, Rin! Let's go before I get disqualified!"

The pale woman was not opposed as she ran toward the exhilarating crowd. There were Gourmet Hunters and chefs from all over the world coming to compete. It was no Cooking Fest turnout by far, but still nothing to sneeze at.

Rin gave the girl a thumbs up, "I'll be cheering for you the whole way Juriie." The two embraced, and Juriie took her mark.

The contestants stood in two groups. One group were chefs, and the other were Gourmet Hunters. The announcer took the stage and began to go over the rules. She was quite the peppy brunette.

"Hello there! I'm your host Tina, and at this time I'll be going over the rules of the competition for those who do not know. There are 50 Gourmet Hunters, and 50 Chefs. Each Chef will have a Gourmet Hunter paired up with them. There will be a total of 3 events. The judges will be watching with a critical eye, so make sure your performance is unique, beautiful, and effective. Alright! The pairs have been randomly pre-selected. Without further ado, let's get this thing started!"

Juriie's whole intention for coming here was to meet her hero Livebearer. It wasn't about being paired with him. That in itself would be a major bonus, but she just wanted to know that he was here. It didn't matter who she was paired with, as long as she could do something to stand out and impress the underground boss, her goal would be accomplished. All she needed to hear was his name, and she'd know who he was. The man she'd been waiting to meet her whole life could possibly be in this crowd...that thought alone drove the woman slightly insane.

Tina continued, "Next is Gourmet Hunter Juriie!"

The small woman stepped outside of the crowd and took center stage. She still hadn't heard Livebearer's name, and what luck would she have to be paired with one of the top chef's in the world.

The brunette gasped, "Wow, folks I didn't even know we had such a high ranked chef competing today! He's ranked in the top 100 actually. What a treat!"

The raven haired girl's heart raced. Chefs and Gourmet Hunters from all over the world have come here, but so far there haven't been any in the top 100 ranking. The excitement built up as the woman spoke. Juriie looked at her face on the big screen, and an empty box next to it. Could that empty box be filled with Livebearer's face?

The woman whispered to herself, "C'mon Livebearer-dono..."

Tina pointed at the screen, "A surprising turn of events ladies and gentlemen. Please welcome Chef Brunch!"

Her heart literally sank. Chef Brunch? What the hell was he even doing here anyway? The man walked over to his random partner nonchalantly.

Tina motioned, "Alright Juriie and Brunch, take your positions please."

The woman walked alongside the red man and he spoke, "Guess we're stuck with each other eh?"

She put a finger to her lips, "Shhh! I'm trying to listen for something." She whispered loudly at the man.

He'd frown at the woman, "Don't shush me, I'll talk whenever the hell I want!"

Juriie glared up at the man, "You're talking too much and I'm trying to listen! Shut up!"

The red man crossed his arms as he looked at the fireball, "You're cute when you're angry."

Just as she was going to open her mouth to yell once again at the man, she stopped short. Her brain had time to process his compliment, and she did not like it at all.

"Wha- Why- ..." The tiny Gourmet Hunter crossed her arms, "Don't talk to me!"

He laughed as he realized what kind of reaction he was able to get out of the woman. It was hard to tell if his words were true or not. Maybe he was just saying this to get a reaction out of the woman.

**(Fast Food)**

After all of the teams had been formed, the woman held hope that during her small argument with Brunch, Livebearer's name was called. She'd perform at her best today. Even if he wasn't competing, the thought of him being in the audience or even knowing who she is at all made her mind scramble. Each team was lined up before the dense gourmet jungle of Fast Food.

Tina began her announcement, "Alright, as you know, there are twenty five teams getting ready to head into Fast Food. Your objective is to use the ingredients provided by the jungle. The pair who comes out quickest and delivers the tastiest food with the best presentation will move on to the next round. You have a limit of 2 hours. Remember, you will also be judged on how well you work as a team, and how smoothly you can gather your ingredients together. Only 8 teams will make it out of this round, so give it your best shot! Alright, ready!? Begin!"

Brunch looked at the woman, "Get on my back."

She crossed her arms, "What? No! Why? I don't even know you. Let's just get through this jungle together, okay. I'm the Gourmet Hunter here. Let me do my job."

Their arguing was sure to bring them down a few points on the team judging. As much as Brunch wanted to just leave her there or grab her and run, he didn't. The teamwork part was literally half the competition, and losing points there would mean sacrificing their entire score. The woman pranced into the jungle as she now felt like the alpha female. As she walked into the jungle, she could now see why it was called Fast Food. From the hot oil waterfall, to the french fry grass, and burger trees, yes it was very clear. This was only on the surface though. The real question is what lay deep in the forest. Much like actual fast food, the freshest ingredients were in the back. The woman was speedy when it came to evasion, but it was a different story for average running. She wasn't quick enough to explore the whole jungle in two hours. Both she and Brunch knew that.

Juriie's eyes directed toward Brunch, "You think...you think if I got on your back we could explore this place in good time?"

He'd kneel down and frown at the woman, "If you acted the way you look, you'd be much better off."

As she climbed on the man's back, she rolled her eyes, "Let me guess, you think I look innocent and cute? Super kawaii!"

He'd shake his head in disagreement, "Nope, hot."

"WHAT!?"

Before she got any answers, the man took off like a bat out of hell. She was both shocked by how fast he was running, and by his previous statement. It was her first time in 22 years being referred to as 'hot.' She didn't know how to feel about it, especially coming from a relative stranger. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, and her legs around his waist. This was a weird position to be in. She wasn't a woman that was used to getting attention, so hearing a compliment just made her feel awkward. The man continued forward until they reached what looked like the jungle's end.

Juriie yelled, "Slow down! We can't leave the jungle or we'll be disqualified!"

Brunch smirked, "We're not leaving the jungle, we're just going deeper."

As he made his way past all of the trees, he jumped off the abrupt ledge with no hesitation. It was a long fall, but he wasn't scared. Juriie on the other hand was literally gritting her teeth as tears flew from the wind force. She wanted to argue with the man, but she was too scared. The only reason she didn't fly off of the man's back is because her body locked up around him.

Once he reached the bottom, she saw why he jumped off in the first place. Her hair gently flowed down her back again as the two landed.

Slowly but surely she got off of Brunch's back. "Okay, let's not do that again."

As her eyes directed forward at the jungle in front of her, she'd gasp, "Whoa. I guess you're right. The fresh stuff is in the back."

There were nothing but the freshest ingredients where they were. It was strange to see such foods in a jungle like Fast Food. Juriie's legs were shaky as she walked, but she was still determined to win this competition anyway.

"Okay Brunch. What ingredients do you desire? I'll fetch it for you."

The man shook his head, "You don't know who I am do you?"

"Am I supposed to?" She spoke with her shoulders shrugged.

He didn't answer her question, but instead, walk ahead of her. "I've got the ingredients."

"Then why did you bother entering this tournament?" She continued her rant as she walked forward. "This thing is about teams. You know teamwork. Trust me to get my half done okay? Don't underestimate m-"

Before she could finish her words, Juriie felt herself fall into a sudden hole. It was very out of the blue, and well hidden. Brunch jumped in after her down the windy tunnel. It didn't really feel as if she were falling, but as if she were being sucked up, rather. The two of them had no idea where they were headed, but there was no stopping this crazy train now. As with all tunnels, Juriie could finally see a light at the end of it. She didn't know where it was leading her, but she was bracing herself for the worst. As the woman fell out of the passageway, she landed face first onto the dirt. She didn't know how, but she was back on the surface, and in the daylight again.

Perhaps she really was sucked up. It was as if the underpass siphoned her from one side of the jungle to the other. On her hands and knees, the woman looked up ahead of her. She was face to face with the beast that rules this jungle.

She trembled as she spoke, "No way. It's...the Red Steer."

The beast was big like a semi-truck. Its red hide made it stand out in this green jungle. It was a predator that wanted to be seen. With a capture level of 87, she had a reason to be fearful. This could be a piece of cake for Brunch, but for Juriie, the highest she could handle at this point was about half that.

She looked back to see nothing at all. Somewhere down the line Brunch had taken a different turn than she. Juriie was literally shaking in her boots. She always talked a tough game, but she wasn't very strong. She hoped that Brunch would make his way to her soon. This was no longer about the competition anymore. It was about life and death.


	2. Partners

As Juriie stared the Red Steer in its eyes, she could swear her life flashed before her. The mad beast was ready to get a meal in the form of this 5'1 109 pound woman. Pawing the ground, this predator was about to charge.

"Shit!" Juriie quickly stood up from the ground and began to sprint into the dense forest.

She glanced back to see the Red Steer bulldozing all of the trees around it. She'd take sharp corners trying to shake the beast, but it was locked on. All she had on her was her knocking rifle, but this beast was too strong for her to even effect it. There was only one other option, and that was evasion. It was a skill she was best at, and one she was always prepared to do. Juriie was a host for Gourmet Cells, and what she lacked in strength, she made up for in obliqueness. As she ran, she swiftly jump up and attempted to grab a White Apple growing on one of the trees.

"Dammit!" She yelled out as she came up a bit short.

The Red Steer was right on her heels. Getting ready to gore her with its horns, she had no other choice. She'd squeeze tightly onto her glove, and it started to glow with a white aura. As she took it off, she could literally feel the sharp point of the horn in her back.

"Energy Print!" She'd completely remove the glove and throw it off to the side.

Without hesitation, the bull followed the glove instead of her. It was a timed technique. Using her own DNA, she was able to transfer her energy into inanimate objects. Depending on how much of her own DNA she used, it wouldn't last very long, a few seconds at most for this much. But within that amount of time, it would transfer everything into that glove down to her taste and scent. It was a technique that would leave her physical body invisible on radars. Even something as intricate as Zebra's echo map couldn't detect her. But again, a few seconds was all it bought her, so she was still on the run. Once the Red Steer regained focus, it seemed to be charging even more quickly this time. She wouldn't be able to use her Energy Print for at least another couple of minutes, so now she was shit out of luck.

She could feel the sharpness so close to her once again. Breathing heavily, the woman would pray for a miracle. She wanted something to happen, anything. If she got out of this mess, she would count her blessings. It didn't look like there was any escape though, so she decided to switch it up and head up into the trees.

Coming up on a long vine, she'd grab hold and swing herself out of the direction of the Steer. Again, everything she did at this point was to buy more time. Turning around and pawing the ground once more, the beast could smell her running the treetops. She didn't worry about the cuts and scrapes she was getting from the sharp branches, she just wanted to survive this.

As Juriie continued, she began to hear faint words. It was weird, like the Red Steer was speaking to her. She absolutely had to capture this ingredient. She'd unhook her Knocking Rifle and jump out of the trees. "I'll do it!" She pumped herself up. Facing the charginging bull, she was ready to give it the fight it deserved.

"Get down!" She could hear a familiar voice yell to her, but this wasn't really a moment where she could get down. Not while she was getting ready to fight this thing.

"Do it now! Get down!" The voice yelled again, and this time, she'd comply. She put her hands over her head and ducked down.

"Parallel Electric Chop!"

While she was kneeling, Juriie saw a bright electrical surge pass by her. She looked forward and saw Brunch standing before her. A miracle, that's definitely what this was. Juriie quickly stood up and dusted herself off. She took a quick glance behind her to insure that the Red Steer was subdued. She directed her attention ahead again, and angrily approached Brunch.

She'd grab his shirt and pull him down to her eye level, "Where were you huh? I heard you jump in after me, so why'd you leave me!?"

"Hey, don't yell at me! It ain't my fault! There was a fork in the road! This the thanks I get for saving your ass!?"

"Saving my ass!? I was-..." Her words fell short and she'd stop mid argument.

It wasn't because she wanted to stop arguing, really. It was just that this conversation seemed so familiar. It was very familiar actually. She had this same argument with Zebra in her previous journey. It wasn't until now that she realized the magnitude of everything. She missed every part of that adventure, even down to her nitty gritty arguments with her arch nemesis Zebra.

Brunch crossed his arms, "What?"

Shaking her head, Juriie walked away from the man and pulled out her watch, "Uh, n-nothing. I just thought about...about how we only have 30 minutes to have our ingredients cooked and back at the stadium! What are we gonna do!?"

"That's plenty of time. Calm down." He spoke as he advanced toward the Red Steer. "Alright, we're gonna head back to the stadium now, so get on my back. Hold on tight 'cause I'm takin' the Steer with me."

She didn't argue like she did last time, but instead just hop on. She had to admit that she was impressed with his strength. She was still a bit distanced from the man. He may have saved her life from a raging bull, but that didn't make him any less of a stranger. In the back of her mind she wondered if any of the other competitors were still left in this jungle. They'd been in there for a while, so there was no telling who was where. The bigger question was if Brunch would be able to cook the steer in time. Thirty minutes for a dish is not enough.

As the two ran back to the stadium, there was something weighing on Brunch's mind. "This Red Steer...it's the king of this jungle. Normally it goes to its prey, but the prey never comes to it..."

Juriie didn't think too hard about his words. She honestly thought the whole thing was a misguided coincidence. It wasn't though, and Brunch knew that. For now, he'd let it slide. As his mind focused on the Steer, Juriie put her brave face back on. Livebearer was still out there, and with the hopes of him being in that crowd, she didn't want to show even the slightest sign of weakness.

She grabbed a timer from her backpack and looked at it. "Shit!"

"What?" Brunch said as he looked back at the girl.

"I read the timer wrong. We don't have 30 minutes. We had 3 minutes...well, now we only have a minute and a half! What are we gonna do Brunch!? I don't want to lose! Not in the first round!"

"Don't sweat it, trust me." The man said with a smirk on his face. Her only saving grace was that they were coming up on the stadium. A stove doesn't even heat up in in a minute, let alone cooking in one. Her heart was going a mile a minute. She didn't want to be made a fool of.

(Gourmet City Stadium)

As they entered the stadium, the crowd chanted the name of Brunch. All of the other competitors were there, Juriie and Brunch were the last ones as expected. Making his way over to the utensils, he set Juriie down and went for a knife. Skinning the Red Steer took him literally no time. She was amazed to see how wonderful of a chef he was. Perhaps it was because she was in hiding for most of her life, but she never heard of this Brunch. Maybe this was why he was in the top rankings. As he finished, the meat of the Red Steer was cut and placed on a platter in fine slices. Shabu shabu is what he made. The presentation wasn't very beautiful, but the point was that they finished.

Juriie put a hand on Brunch's arm, "Nice work." He nodded, "Yeah, we're not outta the woods yet, we still need to be judged."

Some time passed, and each of the teams were standing together, waiting to be judged. The names of the continuing participants were being called. Seven down, and one pair left.

Tina stood in the center of the arena as she spoke. "The last participants continuing will be Chef Brunch and Gourmet Hunter Juriie! With a score of 84 out of 100."

One of the judges spoke as the duo took a sigh of relief. "Had you not gotten 100% on your teamwork score, you two wouldn't be where you stand. Heed my words Chef Brunch. You may be in the top ranking, but that doesn't make you a top candidate to win this competition. I can do without your snarky remarks and cocky attitude. I'm not going to judge so easily in this next round."

The tiny woman could see that her partner was getting visibly upset. He clenched his fists as he looked at the judge. Before he could make a move, Juriie tugged on the man's shirt, "Hey, calm it on down, okay? If you hit him or say any stupid, we're done for. Don't give him any more of a reason to hate us."

As Brunch looked down at the woman, he was ready to fight her too, but looking into her serious eyes changed something. It was like he could feel an intensity burning inside her like nothing he'd ever seen before. What was driving her to fight so hard? Was it really because of the Underground Boss Livebearer? Either way, the man understood her loud and clear.

(Competition Boat)

It was now time for the second event. Tina brought the mic back to her lips, "Okay you guys ready for the second event of the E.T. Soda competition!? For those who have just joined us, I'll go over the rules once again before we start. Right now the competitors are taking a 30 minute break before the next event. Next up will be the head to head face off that you don't wanna miss! The teams will be taken to a Isla Colgando where they must cook and serve the ingredients in the time of 2 hours. This time, the audience will be the judge. Whoever's food has the most popular demand will get more points, and as always, don't forget teamwork!"

Juriie stood on the starboard side of the boat by herself. Her arms rested on the rail. She had an open locket in her hand, and she stared at the picture inside. Up next to her walked Brunch. Leaning his back against the rail, he looked down at the woman. "So who are you, anyway?"

The dark skinned woman quickly closed the locket and put it back in her pocket. "What? Asking me like that is going to lead you down the road to no answers at all."

He shrugged his shoulders, "Well, I dunno jack shit aboutcha, yet we're going to be stuck with each other until tomorrow afternoon!"

"I think the less you know about me, the better. All you truly need to know is that my name is Juriie, and I'm the Gourmet Hunter that's going to get us the win in this competition."

Brunch rose his eyebrows, "Is that what you think? Could just be my memory, but I do believe you were the one running away from the Red Steer until I saved your scared ass."

She stood on her toes as she clenched her fists, "Yeah, it is your memory! I would have lived without your help! I don't need anyone's help! In fact, I would have entered this competition alone if I could have!"

Just as their argument was going to continue, the duo had a camera shoved in their faces. Tina squealed as she approached the two. "Chef Brunch! Juriie! Can I get a word!?" As she stood beside the two she smiled into the camera, "Here we have it folks! The duo that everyone has been waiting to hear from!" She faced the two, "So, my question is first for Chef Brunch. Being a chef in the top 100 ranking, do you feel nervous about competing in a competition so small? No offence sir, but if you lose here, your rank will drop dramatically."

The red man rolled his eyes, "Who said I was gonna lose eh? You see any competition here that can beat me!? I didn't think so!" He'd push the camera away, "No more questions!"

Tina didn't want to enrage the man, so his portion of this interview was finished. Now her attention turned to Juriie. As she looked into the woman's eyes, she became a bit flustered. There was something scary about those dual colored eyes. "I-i'm sorry, I forgot my question. Let's cut to break please." The woman made her leave and Juriie wasn't too surprised about her reaction.

Before she could do anything, she felt the radiating heat from Brunch's face being so close to hers. "I knew there was something about your eyes. Where have I seen you before?"

"Nowhere! This is my first time even being in public! You've never seen me!" The girl turned away, "Don't dwell on it. You'll die of old age before finding out something juicy about this boring wander's life... So let's just get through this, okay?"

There was something so suspicious about her. Something that Brunch wasn't going to let go. It's the second time he thought about it. He had a hunch, but without concrete facts, he may as well have been talking to a brick wall. So again, he'd let it slide. "Well wanderer Juriie, it looks like our next event is just a couple minutes away."

"I know...hey Brunch..." Her face softened a bit as she looked at him. "This time, let me do my job as a Gourmet Hunter, okay? Let me show off a little bit."

The red man shrugged, "Whatever, it's your funeral." He wasn't a man that took much crap from anyone, but he was becoming fond of the tiny woman. Perhaps it was her overwhelming confidence.

The two made their way to the back of the boat where the rest of the competition was. With a quick swim to the island, they would be able to get this competition started. The island wasn't like Fast Food, it was more dangerous. Without the help of Brunch, Juriie would be in serious danger.

"Get on my back." Brunch pointed.

Although she wanted to carry her own weight, for this, she wouldn't argue. She jumped on and prepared herself to jet off toward the island. "Okay Brunch. This time I will help you. I will capture any ingredient on this island, just you wait!"

Tina yelled out to the competitors, "Alright! Competitors ready!? GO!"


	3. Deal for a Deal

(Isla Colgando)

The competitors were setting off toward Isla Colgando. Juriie held on tightly to Brunch as he was practically running on water.

As they got closer, they could feel the intense climate change. The woman's arms locked up "It's getting cold."

"Hang on, we're almost there." Brunch approached the shore, and it was then that things were made clear about this island.

Juriie shivered as she hopped off of Brunch. "Isla Colgando huh? That's an interesting name. I don't see anything hanging. They should call this freezing island instead."

As the woman walked forward, she felt an arm wrap around her waist and pull her back. "Um, excuse you!" Before she could get too upset, she looked down at the trap she nearly walked into. "Now I see...I see why this is called Isla Colgando." Her eyes gazed upon the draping vines, above her. Below was a looong way down to what looked liked an endless whirlpool. Juriie looked up and noticed the the trees that seemed to be...floating...or at least that's what the untrained eye would think. The hanging vines were really the roots of the trees, and they stayed afloat by planting themselves deep into the ground that lay hundreds of feet below.

"What do we do then?" She squinted her eyes. "It's so weird, there's a whole civilization within these vines, but there's no bottom. It's an environment I'd expect to be in the Gourmet World."

Brunch frowned a bit, "You've been to the Gourmet World?"

"Yeah, I was born there. I don't remember all that much of it though... Anyway, how are we getting through these vines?"

The red man grabbed hold of one of the hanging vines, "Swing...and whatever you do, don't look down."

Juriie grabbed the vine and held up her body weight, "I already looked down. Plus I'm not afraid of heights."

The two swung further into the depths of this floating island. As she looked around, you she noticed that all of the animal habitats looked the same as if they were on the ground. The only difference was that they were tangled up in the vines.

"So Brunch, you see any ingredients you're just dying for me to hunt?"

He snickered a bit, "Please, if I want an ingredient i'll just get it myself."

The tiny woman stopped mid swing, "Don't fuck with me Brunch. If anyone's getting ingredients around here, it's me. I told you that i'm more than capable of handling anything."

"Alright, well you can start off by getting me that Garlic Bird." The man pointed at a large nest up above, and Juriie was on it.

She wasn't the strongest woman in the world, but she could hoist up her own body weight. She climbed up higher and higher with one goal in mind...get that bird. She reached her hand up to grab hold of a loose vine. As she attempted to support herself on the vine, it broke from the tree and caused the woman to plummet toward the open pit.

"Brunch!" She screamed. Her hands reached to the side as she attempted to stop herself from sudden death. Brunch released his hand from his vine and reached out for the girl. Barely grazing her hand, he was unable to catch her.

Her large duel colored eyes widened as she fell, but it wasn't long before her fate was met. "AH! Shit!" The woman screamed out as her back hit a hard surface. She looked at her surroundings, and there was a whole forest down there.

Brunch looked down at her intensely, "Juriie! Put your hands together, and bow!"

Again, she was questioning herself, but then again, she couldn't think to hard about it. She was lying on an invisible ground after all. She did just as told and put her hands together, closing her eyes and bowing as she did. She couldn't help but be appreciative of the ground that saved her from certain death, even if it was invisible.

She could hear Brunch's feet land right next to her. When she opened her eyes again, she looked up at Brunch and the place that surrounded her. Wood, that was the thing that saved her life. It wasn't just any wood though. It was the wood from an Invisible Tree. She'd never seen it before considering she had never mastered food honor, or even knew any of the techniques.

She looked up at Brunch curiously, "What is this?"

The tengu laughed, "It's the wood from an Invisible Tree."

Placing her hands on her hips, Juriie rolled her eyes, "Sooo, what's so funny about that? You laughing because I hurt my back?"

Brunch shook his head insistently, "I'm laughing because you've been hiding some crucial information. If you don't tell me who you are I won't take a single step further. You'll lose this competition, and Livebearer will have seen the whole thing." He tugged on the string of the necklace in her pocket, "For starters, what's in here that you're guarding so much?" The man turned his back to her, "Tell you what, if you're honest with me right now, then I'll put on a show so great that, that idiot Livebearer would be a fool to decline you as his Gourmet Hunter."

Juriie sighed, "Brunch...I would do anything to impress that man. The camera's should be coming around to highlight us any minute. If you can make me look good in that time, I'll tell you everything you need to know. And by look good, really, I mean let me do my job as a Gourmet Hunter. No handouts. I just want to show off a little... When I tell you who I am we must be alone, and you cannot tell an-y-one! Deal?"

The man nodded, "I figured you'd bite. Let's do it."

Funny thing is, that was apart of Brunch's plan in the first place. He just wanted to confirm his suspicion about her. He wasn't the type of man who would make deals with people, but he was more calculating than she gave him credit for. If she indeed was who he thinks she is, that could change the world. Once the camera's came around Brunch followed through with his part. She was the star of the show, even if it were just for a moment. They captured ingredients that were not high in capture level, but they were rare.

(Gourmet City Stadium)

Juriie and Brunch were the first competitors to capture all of the ingredients they needed. They were allotted a leg up by being able to prepare their food with plenty of time to spare. As they reentered the arena, the crowd roared and cheered for the two.

Brunch fired up the stove and started to cook. He looked over at Juriie who was sitting on the sidelines, "You owe me."

She nodded, "I know." She was dreading telling the man, but he seemed trustworthy for some reason. The information she was going to tell him was her livelihood here. Everything was riding on him keeping his mouth shut.

"You gonna help me with some of this cooking here princess?" The red man winked.

Hearing the word "princess" was gut wrenching. Maybe he knew who she was this whole time and just wanted to hear her say it. Nah, it must be paranoia.

She shook her head hastily, "Noooo way. Kitchens are for chefs. Trust me when I say I'm one of the worst chef's in the world. I can burn a little something something if ya want though."

He continued to cook, but his pace slowed. "You do know what the last event is right? The chef's are supposed to coach the Gourmet Hunters in meal preparation. So whether you like it or not, you're putting an apron on."

Juriie's heart didn't skip a beat, it just stopped completely. The thought of even getting back in the kitchen was a fear worse than death to her. Things got heavy for her really quickly, and Brunch caught onto this. He may have known her for a short amount of time, but he could feel her emotional change.

"What? You okay?" He continued to cook as he looked at the girl.

"I'll tell you later...when we have our...TALK." Her eyes closed as she reminisced.

By the time Brunch was finished cooking, the other competitors were finally arriving. The two grabbed some plates and started serving them to the audience. People including Rin rushed over to get some of the delicious food.

The short haired girl smiled, "Juriie, you're doing amazing! We saw you up on the big screen!"

The tiny woman gave a quick hug to her friend, "Thanks...my only hope is that it reached Livebearer..."

Their conversation quickly ended as Juriie and Brunch still needed to get their food to the other members of the audience. In her mind, she was still trying to figure out how she'd say what she needed to her competition partner. How would he take the news? She hoped that she was just over exaggerating in her mind, and that her identity was no big deal. Even more than that, she hoped she made a good deal to impress the chef of her dreams.

The contestants were lined up ready to be judged once again. Only two teams would survive this round and become one step closer to the E.T. Soda.

As Juriie sighed, Brunch looked down at her, "We've got this. Don't even worry."

She gave a slight shake of the head, "That's not it...L-let's just listen."

The scores were racking up on the big screen. From the looks of this, it was a landslide vote by the audience. Team Juriie was definitely going to the finals. Something seemed a bit wrong about it though. Like she had an unfair advantage because one of the best chef's in the world was her partner.

It was announced, and the duo was in the final stretch. Juriie sighed in relief. It was as if she actually had a shred of doubt that they wouldn't make it to the next round.

She looked up at her competition partner, "Come with me." Her eyes were serious, and she meant business. There would only be a 30 minute break in between the ending of this competition and the next, so time was of the essence.

Pulling the man by the wrist Juriie didn't stop until she reached a quiet space with just she and Brunch. The small woman looked around checking for any camera's and recording devices.

The red man frowned a bit, "Is all of this truly necessary?"

Once she was certain that this room was completely secure, the woman turned to look him in the eyes, "I'll let you determine it's worth...but let me tell you something Tengu Brunch. Let one word, one peep, one...syllable leave this room about what we discuss, and I will hunt you down like you wouldn't believe. I may not be the strongest person, but for information like this...I'd kill."


	4. Confessions

Juriie sat before Brunch. Her eyes were more serious than they'd ever been and he was getting ready to find out why.

The woman started, "I guess I shouldn't beat around the bush. I'm just gonna come right out and say it in one breath okay? So listen carefully." She took one last breath before speaking again. Though brief, it was her way of buying a bit of time. Maybe this secret was only big to her, but that's what gave it importance.

"Lady Rue..." Still even now after facing the facts, she struggled to give up this bit of information.

But that name on it's own had Brunch on the edge of his seat. She was a class act. A chef's chef. She was the apprentice of the Gourmet Goddess Frohze. Some say that her food rivaled that of the Gourmet Goddess, and she was but one step away from being on her name Lady Rue was as famous as Acacia and Frohze.

"She's...my...my mother." The small woman barely managed to squeeze the words out. She nearly felt like fainting. How would people react if the world knew the identity of Lady Rue's daughter.

The tengu was surprised, but not shocked. "You know, there was a lot of fuss being made about you before you were born...Er, so I heard. I'm not an old man, so I wasn't around when all of this was being announced. You were said to hold an immense amount of food luck... I knew it was you."

Juriie stood up and flailed her arms, "What do you mean you knew it was me!? The world saw me once, and that was when I was a small 5lb infant child. There's no way you knew who I was!"

He shrugged, "The appetite demon in your eyes say otherwise."

The girl held her arms and turned from him worried like, "Yeah, there's a demon in there alright. It likes to announce it's presence whenever I decide to pick up a knife." Turning back toward the man, she widened her eyes, "Which is why I can't cook for this last round. Brunch, I've never made a decent meal in my life! I don't know why, but whenever I pick up a knife to cook, I just black out and when I come to again...everything is...destroyed.

Brunch rubbed his chin for a moment, "Hmm, maybe I can coach you through it."

Juriie rolled her "And you don't think my mother thought of that already? It's impossible. I'm not a chef, I'm meant for capturing ingredients... Wait a second, why aren't you acting surprised about my secret? Anyone else would have lost it."

The man gave a quick shrug of his shoulder, "Probably 'cause I don't really care. What? You want me to gravel at your feet er something? She's a great chef, and one that I would have loved to meet before her untimely death, but she's not you. Her accomplishments got nothin' to do with you."

The woman stood there a moment just absorbing his words. He was right. Her accomplishments don't reflect her. But that was another reason she had to remain hidden. She didn't want people to look at her mothers work and peg Juriie as a failure in comparison. It was too much pressure, so the best thing she could do was go into hiding.

"You think you can teach me? Fine. Let's go out there and make complete fools of ourselves...both of us."

The red man nodded, "Just trust me short stack." He gave a small press and rub at the top of her head before walking away.

(Gourmet Stadium)

Finally it was the moment of truth. Juriie stood before her counter just waiting for the event to begin. She didn't know which utensil to grab first. Her heart raced, and she felt like vomiting.

She thought to herself '_So this is where I fail huh? Right here in front of thousands... I'm going to have to change my name and leave town...AGAIN! I haven't cooked in years, and all I do is burn things! I should never have done this! I should never have entered the E.T. Soda Competition! I know you're watching Livebearer-dono...and I'm so sorry...'_

"Competitors ready?!" Tina yelled into her microphone. "Okay, begin!"

The girl's hand reached for a knife, but before she could grab it, she heard Brunch yell. "Hey!"

He walked over to the woman and lifted her chin a bit. "Chin up. If you wanna cook like a champ, you need to look like one. Just listen to my instructions and calm down, okay?"

His words brought on old memories of her cooking in the kitchen with her mother. They were both the fondest and lowest times of her life...

(Kitchen with Lady Rue)

_A young Juriie looked at her mother with tears in her eyes, "Mommy I can't do this. I'm not a chef. Every time I cook...IT happens."_

_Lady Rue shook her head, "No sweetheart, you're just gifted. Give it one last try. You know, Ms. Frohze believed in me when no one else would...now I'll do the same for you."_

(Gourmet Stadium)

Brunch pointed at the rare Durian-Kiwi, "It looks tricky with all of the spikes, but if you give it a good hit on its side it'll crack right open. Then after that, get to choppin the vegetables. You know how to do that, right?"

She nodded and did as instructed, but instead of hitting the fruit on its side, she hit it right side up. As her hands slammed down with all of her strength, the force of the hit caused the spikes to penetrate her hand. It was a small cut, but after forcing it a second time, her injury became more apparent.

The tengu yelled at the woman, "The hell are you doing!?"

She looked back at him, and her hair snapped out of her bun. "Perhaps now is a bad time to tell you that you should probably protect the audience."

The mans eyes widened as he knew she was serious.

Juriie frowned, "I can hear it again..." As they call it, 'famous last words.' Only the viewing audience saw what was happening. The woman blacked out for but a moment. In her mind it felt like an eternity. She woke up just seconds later to see the destruction in front of her. Her cooking station was completely destroyed...

Her eyes looked around to see the gasping audience. All eyes were on her. They were in shock at what they'd just witnessed. But what did they witness?

Picking herself up from the ground, the woman dusted herself off. She searched around to find the familiar face that was Rin. Even she was in a state of shock.

The raven haired girl shook her head, "No.. Not again..."

She'd run off stage and head toward the exit of the stadium. Before she could make any headway, she felt a hand grab her arm.

"You gonna run again, huh?" Brunch held firmly onto her as he asked.

She turned to him with terror in her eye, "I have to!"

He'd release her and she stumbled over a bit. The man shrugged, "Whatever. It's not like I give a shit. Your demons don't effect my rank as a chef." He'd look away from her and fold his arms nonchalantly, "You're problem isn't losing control. It's the fact that you give up so easily. I can see why you're such a poor Gourmet Hunter now. It's because you're a chef."

The woman shook her head fiercely, "No! I'm no chef! I burn food and destroy things! Did you not just see?!"

Brunch nodded, "I saw, and as bizarre as that was...take a look at the food."

She looked at her cooking station once again, and although it was a huge mess, none of the ingredients were harmed. In fact, they were minced and in perfect condition.

Brunch looked into the girls eyes, "Take off if you want...or...we can finish this and win the E.T. Soda like we came here for."

The woman gave a smirk of triumph, "Let's give it one last shot!" Looking to the audience, she'd give a thumbs up. They cheered loudly as she resumed her position.

It was interesting what happened next. Brunch slowly coached her through cooking, and any time she could feel herself trembling again, she would move to a dish more soothing. That day she'd done something that she'd never been able to do in her entire 22 years of living.. She cooked a decent meal.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but they'd dare not fall. "Brunch, this may just be the shittiest meal you've ever seen, but it's the best one I have ever made. Even if we don't win this competition today, I am happy to have been your partner through it all. Thank you so much." Extending her arm, she'd give he man a firm handshake.

The two waited to be judged for the final time. Visually, Juriie's dish in comparison to her competitors was nothing short of a disaster. Her eyes closed as the judges took a bite of each dish. She didn't want to see anyone react to her food. No one had ever eaten anything she'd cooked before, so she was very self conscious.

She heard the sound of utensils being set down, and one of the judges started. "Ms. Juriie?"

The girl opened her green eye and tensed her shoulders, "Yes?"

The man continued, "I don't know what this taste is...It's something I've never eaten before. I can't even put my finger on it, and I've eaten many ingredients in my time. Before you get cocky I want you to know that it's not good. It's not bad either, but I just can't quite form an opinion on it."

She didn't know what that meant. She was just happy to hear that her cooking wasn't bad. "Okay?"

The voting was done, and the winner was clear. Another one of the four judges spoke, "After a while of deliberation, we have come to a consensus. The dish that we didn't pick lacked substance. It was a great show, but didn't taste quite as good as it looked. For that reason, we'd like to present the winner with the fruit of the E.T. Soda. Congratulations Chef Brunch and Gourmet Hunter Juriie."

The small woman's eyes widened. She was sure that she was going to go down in flames. Her competition's food looked delicious, but that's all it was, a display.

She happily took her half of the prize and smiled in the face of Brunch, "Less than a day. That's how long I've known you, yet you know more about me than 90% of people I know..." She'd punch his arm in a playful manner, "Keep in touch Tengu."

(Gourmet City Limits- Night)

Juriie sat on a bench on the outskirts of Gourmet City. Right next to Rin is where she rested, and from her position, she could see all of the fireworks bursting from the stadium she was at not too long ago.

The shorter woman handed a piece of the E.T. Soda fruit to Rin and held one herself, "I give thanks for the vast bounty this world provides. Now let's eat."

The girls took a bite, and the juice immediately fizzed from the sizes. Juriie laughed as she held it away from her. The soda spilled in their laps, and Juriie wiped the side of her mouth on her shoulder.

"It's really good! The carbonation is much stronger than I thought it would be!" Rin giggled out as she took another bite.

Juriie nodded in agreement, but before she could take another bite, she felt someone sit right next to her. The girl looked over her shoulder, and it was Brunch.

The tengu smiled, "You know, we made a good team...I'm...impressed, and that's something that I almost never say. Someday you'd be of good use in the Gourmet World."

The girl nodded, "I agree, but if you want to use me for my food luck than I'd suggest you bark up another tree. I've got what's known as Food Misfortune. Case you're wondering what that is, it is a vicious curse that puts me in the direct line of fire. It's a disease of sorts that's like the opposite of Food Luck...and the more I eat, the more it sends out pheromones that attract high level beasts. "

Brunch let out an annoyed sigh, "I ain't askin' ya to be my partner or nothin'! ...Just let me train you. You've got a lot of potential kid. The ingredients speak to you. As for that curse of yours, I'm pretty sure there's a recipe just waiting to cancel out those effects."

The raven haired girl sat the E.T Soda frut in her lap. "You can train me? To hunt ingredients?"

The red man gave a quick nod and faced forward once more. "I ain't gonna beg ya or nothin' so make your decision now."

Juriie focused on the food in front of her. It seemed as though she pondered in her mind for hours, but really, it was just a few seconds. She looked up and back over to the man, "I will go with you, Brunch."

Rin frowned as her choice was so sudden. "B-but what about Lilith? We have to be there for the grand opening of her restaurant in Gourmet Town!"

Lilith was an old friend of Juriie's and a new friend to Rin. The tan skinned woman pointed at the E.T. Soda fruit, "Give the fruit to Lilith as an opening gift. Tell her I'm sorry I couldn't make it. Ever since I decided to become a Gourmet Hunter, my only goal has been Livebearer-dono. If I can become stronger, there's no way he can deny my partnership...Tell the Kings I said hi. I've got training to do!"iv


End file.
